780                               LAWS OF MARYLAND                       [CH. 389

elite typewriter characters, both in the application form used by the
seller and either in a copy thereof or in the confirmation handed or
mailed to the prospective buyer when the retail credit account is
established.

(c)  At the time a seller established a retail credit account for the
use of the buyer, the seller shall confirm this fact to the buyer or
prospective buyer in writing. Such confirmation shall contain a clear
and understandable statement of the amount or the rate of the
service charge. Such confirmation shall also contain a legend that the
buyer may at any time pay his entire balance without incurring any
additional charge for prepayment. Such confirmation shall be in type
no smaller than elite typewriter characters. If no copy of the con-
firmation is retained by the seller, a notation in the permanent
record of the seller showing that such confirmation was mailed, and
the date of mailing, shall be admissible as evidence of such mailing.

(d)  The seller or holder of a retail credit account shall inform
the buyer, in writing, before the first payment, other than the down
payment, if any, is due, and in any event within forty (40) days
following each purchase, the following:

(1)  The cash sale price of such purchase.

(2)  The amount, if any, of the down payment by the buyer.

(3)  A brief description of the goods or services.

(4) When the service charge is assessed on the original unpaid
balance of the purchase price or prices, in accordance with the pro-
visions of Section 153D (b) hereof, then, in addition, the amount of
the service charge, the time sales price, the amount of each install-
ment expressed in dollars, and the times or periods of payment
thereof.

(5) When the service charge is assessed on the outstanding
balances from month to month in accordance with the provisions of
Section 153D (c) hereof, then in addition, the amount or the rate
of the service charge on the outstanding balance.

(e)  The seller or holder of a retail credit account shall inform the
buyer, in writing, within forty (40) days following each payment,
concerning the total amount due the seller by the buyer and the
amounts paid by the buyer to the seller or the holder since the last
written notice from the seller or the holder to the buyer, unless the
buyer has previously been given, in writing, notice, by coupon, book
or otherwise, of the amount of such payment, and the amounts which
will be due at one or more times, after such payment.

(f)  The information referred to in subsections (b), (c), (d) and
(e) of this Section may be stated in any sequence, order or form,
and in one or more written documents; additional items may be in-
cluded to explain the computations made in determining the amount
to be paid by the buyer.

153D.

(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, a seller, or
his successor in interest, under a retail credit account, may charge,
collect and receive a service charge, however described, not to exceed
the following: